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The Veteran of Pain and Suffering
"Some time ago, a man taught me about legacy. He told me that my legacy was '''pain'. That my pain would make those around me stronger. For a long time I believed him. But now, in this very moment that I write this, I realize he was wrong. That I''' had been wrong. I know now that my legacy is this book. My legacy to my children, and their children, and all of their children. To the people of this great Commonwealth. ... This is '''my story, told my way. And I'm sticking to it. -- The Veteran," '' -- The closing paragraphes of the Veteran's memoirs The Veteran of Pain and Suffering, also known more simply as The Veteran,' '''was the original founder and leader of the Commonwealth of New Graystone and mentioned in the 'Apocalypse Survival Guide'. He is most famous for building a new civilization almost singlehandedly by defeating the Frontiersmen and the Government, uniting hundreds of communities and tribes to form the Commonwealth of New Graystone, and bringing back a semblance of the society of the Old World. He earned the name of "The Veteran of Pain and Suffering" due to the intense trauma he suffered in the apocalypse, and using his pain to inspire other survivors. Several years after writing his memoirs, the Veteran died at his ranch in 2062, 50 years after the death of the Old World. 75 years after his death and despite the country being burned in nuclear fire, the legend of the Veteran of Pain and Suffering lives on, both in the stories of the descendants of those who knew him and the circulation of the Survival Guide. He remains revered around the country, with some taking a more primitive view of his accomplishments. Background ''"The Veteran of Pain and Suffering...its a name used so much that very few remember his true name. The Veteran was from a land far away from here, across the seas. When the dead started to rise, he became trapped in a country he did not know, but he rose from a high school student to the leader of the New World. Few today have not heard a story of the Veteran of Pain and Suffering, and his descendants carry on his legacy to this day," '' -- The Pilgrim's description of the Veteran in the Survival Guide Early Life Not much is known about the Veteran's early life, although it was well chronicled that his voice betrayed he was from a land far away, supposedly across the seas. According to his own memoirs, he was born over a century ago and came to what was the United States at the age of 16, staying in this new country with his friends in a derelict city called Upswitch. First Year According to his memoirs, the Veteran did not remember much about the initial outbreak of the zombie plague, other than he and his other friends from the foreign land across the sea took refuge in a large building in Upswitch. After a week, they realized that nobody was coming to help them and so decided to reinforce the building. Time on the Road The Greencole Years The Call to Arms All Out War With an army of communities and tribes now fighting as one, the Veteran led the New Graystone Republic in their war against the Frontiersmen. A New Beginning A Certain Doom Later Life Having fully left his leadership position of the Commonwealth, the Veteran decided to finally settle down on the very ranch where he had defeated the Monster of the East. He decided to invite his loved ones to live on his land and got the chance to raise his family in peace. Eventually, his children had children of their own, including the future leader of the Columbian, Hope Edwards. Death 50 years of surviving in the New World had taken its toll on the Veteran; although he remained a respected figure in the Commonwealth and was viewed as a source of strength, there were others in the west that believed he had become weak. He was attacked by someone he considered family, according to his children, which severely weakened his already stressed heart. A few years later, the Veteran finally succumbed to a heart attack, passing away peacefully on a bench at the furthest edge of his ranch. Legacy Overview Personality The Veteran is remembered as a stern, wise and dominating man. On the surface, he appeared rough, short-tempered and he could be apathetic, cynical, and threatening. However, once he trusted someone it was revealed he was a man of good humour, a wellspring of advice and a strong and capable leader who could easily rally people behind him. He was known to speak in a long-winded and pedantic fashion, often giving rallying speeches to his followers. He also appeared to discredit Old World religions Killed Victims This list shows the victims Harry Edwards has killed: * Mr Dawid ''(zombified) * US Soldier (zombified) * Gemma (zombified) * 'Ohio' (indirectly caused) * Matthew Mitchell (caused, alongside his fellow survivors) * Andre Mitchell * Kyle Mitchell (alongside his fellow survivors) * Daniel Cottingham (out of mercy) * Hopeville Courtyard Guard (accidental & out of mercy) * Aaron Ganger (out of mercy) * Leland (out of mercy) * Hometown Roof Lieutenant (before reanimation) * Ashley (zombified) * Declan (caused) * Smitty * Stoffman (indirectly caused) * William Carter (caused) * Martin * Joseph (alive) * Deck * Zoe's brother (zombified, out of mercy) * Bart Rhodes (before reanimation) * Morgan (alongside his fellow survivors) * Bulldog * Rupert * Chris (alive) * Tannerson (before reanimation, off-panel) * Dustbowl * Richard (indirectly caused) * Ben Appleby (out of mercy) * Two-Tongue * James Cottingham * Dag * Holly Parker (before reanimation) * Francis (indirectly caused) * Mikhail * Randall (alive) * Frontiersmen Guard * 'Aaron' * New Graystone Guard (zombified, out of mercy) * Katrina (indirectly caused) * Becky Stanton (zombified) * Amjori Priest * Frontiersmen General * Norman * Chloe Nikolas (out of mercy) * Joseph (before reanimation) * Gerald * Albert * Jessica (out of mercy) * 'Killer' * Gaunter O'Kyle * Newton * Paul Raleigh (caused) * Frontiersmen High Priest * Abraham * Salt-Upon-Wounds (out of mercy) * Boyle * Berto (caused, before reanimation) * Lady of the Lake (out of mercy) * Kieron Smith (zombified, out of mercy) * Holt (alive) * Victor Valkyrie * Reed * Moby (alive) * Jennifer (alive, out of mercy, before reanimation) * Antony Eden * Six's Father (zombifed) * Six's Mother (zombified) * Several unnamed Chester Woods Bandits * Several unnamed members of the Hopeville Army * Numerous unnamed Black Forest Bandits * Three wolves * 4 unnamed Hometown guards (1 caused, 1 zombified, 2 direct) * Numerous members of the String Gang * 5 unnamed members of the Lake Bandits * Numerous members of the New World Warriors * 1 unnamed member of the Murdoch Fighters * Several members of the Church * 4 unnamed members of Liam's String Gang * Numerous unnamed members of the Ravagers * Numerous unnamed members of the True Teller Clan * 223 unnamed members of the Frontiersmen (caused, direct, zombified, 1 out of mercy) * Several unnamed members of the Site 65 Militia * 12 members of The Fear * 74 unnamed members of the Government (caused and direct) * Numerous counts of zombies and possibly unnamed people Skills and Abilities The Veteran was renowned as a ferocious combatant, able to hold his own against any foe he came across. He mentions he was trained by the same man who taught him about legacy. Texts go on and on about his "warhammer", a weapon that some believed he could summon from a rubber tube. He was also known to carry around a tomahawk and a blade adorned with the head of a wolf. Trivia *The Veteran is one of six characters who is widely known by an alternate nickname, the others being the Caregiver, the Last Veteran, the Lonesome Drifter, the Pilgrim and the Captain. Category:Characters Category:Extended Universe Category:'Apocalypse Survival Guide' Category:Leaders Category:Deceased Characters